Helpful Backgrounds for a Private Investigator

Whether it’s for checking the work background of someone you plan to hire, trying to find information about certain individuals before conducting business, or just providing surveillance over an area, hiring a private investigator is your go-to option. However, with so many private investigators offering their services, how would you know if you’re hiring someone with the right skills? A good way to start your search is by checking out their background.

Being a private investigator requires different skill sets for different kinds of tasks. For example, some cases may require advanced computer skills, while others would call for some experience in long-distance photography. In fact, even the way a private investigator looks can affect how well they would fit the job.

Since private investigators come from all walks of life, it helps to know which ones would have more relevant backgrounds than others. Here’s are a few of helpful backgrounds for private investigators to have, as well as which cases they excel in.

Intelligence/Counter-intelligence

These private investigators have experience that involves getting leads from informants, eavesdropping for essential information using different devices, and other covert activities that involve monitoring and stopping criminal activities. Many of these PIs have a background in stopping narcotics trade or capturing people that have gone in hiding.

These private investigators are perfect for cases which involve surveillance, whether you want an individual or area under surveillance or keep an entire company safe from unwanted forms of surveillance such as wiretapping or hidden cameras using electronic counter-measures.

Business/Law

Private investigators with this background know the ins and outs of running businesses and the complicated laws that can either make (or break) a company’s chances of success. Often called corporate investigators, they specialize in more business-oriented matters such as checking for signs of fraud, investigating employee misconducts (or employer abuse), and even estimating for loss projections.

Corporate investigators are also your go-to guys when it comes to other matters like intellectual property issues, keeping trade secrets safe, and cybercriminal activity that may compromise the well-being of a person or company.

Cybercrime

Private investigators with a background in dealing with cybercrime are tech-savvy professionals that specialize in investigating online information. This can be anything from fake social profiles to scam sites designed to steal information from unsuspecting victims. If you need to know something and it’s online, these private investigators should be your first choice.

Aside from tracking information, these private investigators can also help protect information. They can help set up security measures that can stop or identify threats, or in some cases like online harassment, help find the offending individual so the victim can take legal action against them.

The Importance of Credentials

Regardless of their background, you should still check if a private investigator has the right credentials before hiring them. Inquire more about their investigative experience and ask about their most recent successful cases. Depending on their background, you may have to check the authorities or other licensing bodies to see if they actually had prior (relevant) experience before being a private investigator.

Just like you need the right tools for different tasks, having a private investigator with the right background is essential if you want to get the desired results.